Setting yourself up for success

What a great turnout this weekend for the nutrition seminar! There is always so much we can chat about and its awesome to hear how you have progressed.  I remember when many of you came through drinking diet coke and eating all sorts of processed foods.  Look at you now :)

This past weekend I made my fiancé Dave some homemade treats.  As I was making them I made him promise that he would take them to work the following day and share with his co-workers.  He laughed and agreed.  The next morning I reminded him that the deal was that he would take them to work, to which he jokingly replied "what no self control?".  I laughed and told him I was exercising self control by controlling my environment.

The question is- in order to exercise self control does it have to be sheer willpower?  I have found sometimes it is best just not to start.  If I don't have access to something that may be tempting, I am must less likely to track it down to fulfill my craving.  Having the treats removed from the house was a way for me to stay one step ahead of what might tempt me (although not making them all together would have been another way, but Dave has more self control than me and can have a treat now and then).

What other things can we do to set ourselves up for success? Consider what possible obstacles you may encounter and plan around that road block.  Here are some examples:

45 minutes of cooking= 2 days meals

• Obstacle: hungry, busy and no healthy food on hand
• Game plan to avoid obstacle: Any time you cook, triple or quadruple the recipe.  Portion out the meals in pyrex containers for an easy meal.  You could also check out www.paleofix.com for some ready made options as well.  

• Obstacle: spending too much shopping for healthy food
• Game plan to avoid obstacle: buy large amounts of food from either Costco, the local farmers market, or purchase from the rancher directly (Marin Sun Farms).  

• Obstacle: Friends or family that hassle you for your "obsessive healthy eating"
• Game plan to avoid obstacle:  If you don't call attention to your eating, they are less likely too. If you are eating out, check the menu at the restaurant ahead of time (and call the restaurant to ask questions if necessary).  If you are eating at their house, offer to bring a dish to share. 

What about you? What best practices have you established to keep yourself on target? Share your thoughts and successes in the comments section.